Spin bath maser in a cryogenically cooled sapphire whispering gallery mode resonator

Abstract

We report the observation of a mechanism of maser generation in an ensemble of inter-coupled, inhomogeneously broadened two-level systems, enhanced by high quality factor electromagnetic cavity modes. In this previously unobserved form of population inversion, an inseparable quantum system leads to cavity-enhanced stimulated emission arising from interactions within an ensemble of two-level systems, as opposed to a traditional ensemble of noninteracting identical three level systems. The effect is observed in a cryogenically cooled whispering gallery mode sapphire resonator containing dilute Fe$^{3+}$ impurity ions. These ions exhibit strong spin-lattice interaction, leading to both electron spin resonance broadening and phonon mediated spin-spin coupling. The maser effect is due to a $\left|1/2\right\rangle \rightarrow \left|3/2\right\rangle$ energy transition in electron spin angular momentum observed at zero external magnetic field. Both continuous and oscillating regimes are observed with corresponding thresholds both in detuning frequency and incident power.